Right Here All Along
by serafina19
Summary: This is for 552158/Franica for LJ's Chlollie Gift Giving Extravaganza, who wanted an AU fic "where they have known each other, grown up together and they are meeting now again and fall in love," similar to HIMYM episode "The Window."
1. Part 1

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing...title and lyrics are from based on the song of the same name by Amanda Marshall.

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**Right Here All Along **

_In your eyes I see the reason_  
_In your smile I see the road that takes me home  
In my heart I know the answer_  
_That all the things I looked so hard to find_  
_Were right here all along_

For Oliver, Chloe Sullivan had been the one who had gotten away. She was probably the single person who knew him best, even more than his parents. Since he was ten, they had grown up together, watched the world around them change, and stayed with each other through the good times and the bad.

They were the best of friends, something Oliver cherished more than anything, but that all changed six years ago when Chloe's mother died. The day had been a long time coming with her declining health, but the aftermath was something Oliver would never forget.

Upon hearing the news from Chloe's father, Oliver walked out of his class and rushed to the hospital as fast as he could. It had been pouring rain outside for the last couple of hours, so the road conditions were less than favourable, and he lost count how many times he had almost hydroplaned his car because he had to get there. It was Chloe's nineteenth birthday, and with her father working and her idiot boyfriend out of town, there was no way Oliver was going to let Chloe spend it alone, especially considering the circumstances.

He had turned his car to block two other parking spots, but his parking ability was the last thing on his mind as he pulled his keys out of the ignition. Regardless of the rain, Oliver would have been running to the hospital anyway, but he stopped suddenly as he noticed Chloe running towards the other parking lot.

Oliver called out her name, but the rain was too loud for her to hear it, so he chased after her. She was caught off guard when he caught up to her, but she allowed him to hug her as she let go of her emotions.

It was that moment when Oliver knew... he was in love with his best friend.

But she wasn't single then... she wasn't single often. Chloe was one of those girls who could have any guy she wanted, and it never had been him. Oliver continued to play the friend card and waited for her to see him, but three years after that fateful day, she received an offer that she couldn't refuse to work at a reputable paper in Kansas. While Oliver was away on business with his father, she had kissed her father goodbye and left on a moment's notice, leaving Oliver only with a note to remember her by, telling him that she'd stay in touch. But she didn't, even her father didn't hear much from her because her work kept her busy, which was understandable because Chloe had always been career driven.

When Lex Luthor took over the Daily Planet last year, Oliver again found himself struggling with his feelings for her. Bullying Lex at Excelsior was not one of Oliver's best moments, but after being indirectly responsible for the death of Duncan Allenmayer, Lex's best friend, he made sure to mock Oliver's friendship with Chloe whenever she came to visit. Oliver could deal with Lex calling him a hypocrite, because in a lot of ways, he was right, but hearing him call Chloe a gold digger made Oliver's blood boil. While he genuinely felt terrible for what happened to Duncan, Lex's treatment of Chloe clinched that the two boys were never going to see eye-to-eye.

As time passed by, and the boys grew up into men, Lex would persist in his teasing in a more subtle matter, so Oliver had half a mind to fly out Metropolis to make sure that she was okay. However, Chloe was a strong woman, stronger than most people Oliver had met, and he knew that she could take care of herself... and he had to let her go.

But all that was gone the moment he saw her today, although if it wasn't for her eyes and infectious smile, he wasn't sure he would have recognized her. Chloe had done a lot of growing up in three years, trading in her jeans and converse for an emerald blouse, a black pencil skirt and high heels. However, some things hadn't changed, as her smile still lit a room like no other, and she was still surrounded by guys no matter where she went.

For a split second, her eyes caught his and once she realized he was there, she pushed through the mob around her. "No way!" She exclaimed, smiling brighter as she approached him, giving him a hug. "I can't believe you're here."

Returning the hug, Oliver stated, "I could say the same to you."

Chloe sighed as she backed away. "Yeah, I suppose you do live here... I just thought that... I was expecting to see your parents."

That had been the plan, but his parents had a last minute engagement and sent Oliver in their place. "You're not disappointed, are you?"

"Pleasantly surprised."

"How long have you been in town?"

She pursed her lips before responding, "About a week, and yes, I know I could have called, but I wanted to get things settled before getting in touch."

Oliver raised an eyebrow. "Settled? So you're moving back here?"

"Yeah."

"That's great. I'm sure your father's glad to have you back."

She dropped her head and said softly, "Yeah, he says the apartment is a lot quieter without mom and me."

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to bring up bad memories," Oliver said as he put a hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay." Moving just her eyes up to look at him, Chloe added, "It feels like yesterday, doesn't it? That day in the rain?"

Oliver retracted his hand to rub the back of his neck. "Yeah."

Desperate for a change in conversation, Chloe cleared her throat and tried to smile. "So... how have you been? I hear your father is close to having enough faith in you to run the company."

Taking the hint, Oliver answered, "Yeah, Dad's pulling his hair out on some days, but I think I'll get it all soon. However, now that you're back, I know that a batch of your cookies would go over well with him and the board. It might even help me get back into his good books."

"I'll see what I can do."

The cookies had been a secret weapon of Chloe's since the board raised an eyebrow to their friendship. One day, she walked into Queen Industries, let herself be known and gave each member a dozen cookies. Watching a sixteen-year-old girl win the approval of ten senior executives so easily was something that Oliver thought he'd never see, but truth be told, he never met another woman like Chloe. From the moment he met her, he knew that she was different and the way that she could put any man under her spell was unlike anything he had ever seen. She didn't have to use her body or charm to get what she wanted; she just had to be herself.

Seeing her eyes wander, Oliver asked, "Want to get some coffee?" As much as he was enjoying the moment, he didn't want to risk losing her in the crowd of the party.

With a glint in her eyes, Chloe asked back, "Is that a serious question?"

"You want to back to Tahli's or do you want to try the new place on 7th?"

Chloe scrunched up her nose at his question. "Is Eric still working at Tahli's?"

Eric was one of Chloe's many exes, and even though they only lasted a couple months, Oliver never liked the guy because he made Oliver seem humble. Proudly shaking his head, Oliver answered, "I think he left to pursue his acting career."

Chloe scoffed loudly as she began heading for the door. "I wonder how long it'll take him to realize how much of a mistake _that_ is." Pausing at the entranceway, she raised an eyebrow at him. "You coming?"

Finding his footing, Oliver caught up to her and held the door open. "After you."

She walked outside and upon feeling the warm sunshine on her, Chloe smiled. "I like winter as much as the next person, but sometimes you just can't argue with sunshine."

Oliver stood behind her, almost mesmerized by how her eyes gleamed in the sunlight. "No argument here."

Chloe momentarily squinted her eyes before turning in his direction. "Have you even seen snow?"

"Plenty of times actually, during business trips."

"I stand corrected."

"It's okay, I'm sure you're not the only person who thinks that way," Oliver said as he shrugged a shoulder.

Looking around, Chloe pointed to her right. "It's that way, right?"

Oliver nodded and took her hand as he led her down the street. "So what happened to your cushy job at the Daily Planet?"

She rolled her eyes and chuckled slightly. "I was fired."

"What?"

"Trying to get the print the truth has its costs," Chloe said plainly, "especially when it involves dirtying your boss' reputation."

Oliver knew it was an opportunity of a lifetime, so it surprised him that she was so calm about it. "You okay?"

"Fine... actually better than fine."

"Really?"

At the sound of his question, Chloe stopped for a moment to look at the life on the streets. Traffic was hardly moving, but across the street there were people walking their dogs, children playing in the park, and people just living. In California, everything seemed normal... peaceful, in comparison to the live she had been living across the country.

Chloe moved a stray bang from her face before she continued down the street. "I missed being here, you know. The sunshine, the festivities," Chloe paused as she looked up into his eyes, "the people I left behind."

"So this is a permanent move?"

"You don't exactly sound thrilled at that prospect."

He titled his head towards her and told her the truth, "Don't want to get my hopes up for nothing."

"In that case, you'll be glad to know that I've moved back in with my dad until I find a place, and I have no intention of leaving California again."

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming back? You know that I'd be more than willing to find you a place." He honestly felt hurt that it took her a week to reach out to him, despite what she said.

However, it didn't surprise Oliver to see Chloe stand her ground. "I can stand on my own feet you know. Just because you have a little more money than me doesn't mean you always need to help me out."

"A little?" Oliver asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

Seeing his reaction, Chloe rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean. What your parents did for my mom was more than I could have ever asked for."

For months, Queen Industries had paid for Moira Sullivan's treatment in the hospital when her cancer got worse. Her father always tried to refuse, but Chloe's parents were as close to Oliver's parents as Chloe was to him, so they always insisted. It was a tough time after she died, and everything seemed to change. Oliver was close to graduating and therefore was had to start attending meetings and business trips with his father. Chloe, meanwhile, became more distant. because while she made time for everyone, she had completely blindsided everyone with the job offer. However, she was back now, and she seemed happier.

Seeing their favourite coffee shop just down the block, Oliver couldn't help but smile at the memories shared there until she broke up with Eric. Looking down at her, he noticed that she was smiling too, likely anticipating the reunion with her favourite drink.

However, there was one plaguing question on his mind and he couldn't hold it back anymore. "You seeing anyone?"

She quickly shook her head. "The closest thing I got to a date since I left California has been with a computer. You?"

"No," Oliver said walking into Tahli's. "So let me guess... large almond mocha... extra whip?"

She looked back at him with slightly widened eyes. "I'm surprised you still remember... it's been a long time."

"It's not something I'll likely forget... remember when your dad held an intervention for your coffee habits?"

"Worst week of my life," Chloe answered as she shut her eyes.

"Except that you cheated," Oliver remarked. "You're lucky my parents loved you so much that they obliged you when you came to our place to get a fix"

"Come on Ollie, what's a cup of coffee to them?"

Oliver said raising an eyebrow, "Chloe, you were fourteen!"

"Exactly... if anything they made it worse by banning it in our apartment."

They both burst out into laughter in the middle of the cafe, not caring about who was staring at them. Oliver came out of his laughter first and wrapped a hand around her back as they stood in line. "I missed this... I missed you."

Leaning against him, Chloe whispered, "Me too."

Seeing how peaceful she looked and how naturally she fit around his arm surprised Oliver, but as he looked around the cafe, he noticed a slight flaw in their plan. "How about you grab a table before they're all taken? Your feet are probably killing you."

Standing up straight, Chloe replied, "You'd be surprised. I've actually gotten used to wearing heels on a regular basis." She paused as she looked behind her at the tables, "You're right though... how much do I need to give you?" Chloe attempted to pull out her wallet when Oliver stopped her hand in its place.

"I got it."

Chloe grinned as she turned to walk away, but Oliver's eyes never left her as she wandered through the little cafe.

The next few hours were spent catching up about everything they missed during the three years apart. Chloe told him about the weird and unexplained events that seemed like an everyday occurrence in Kansas, while Oliver filled her in on his rise to inevitably becoming the new CEO of Queen Industries, which seemed boring in comparison, but Chloe listened intently nonetheless as she sipped her coffee. Seeing her sitting across him made him realize that she was truly happy to be home again, and that they could really pick their friendship up where they left it.

Sipping the last of her coffee in her cup, Chloe grinned. "Well, I should probably be heading home."

"Can I walk you home?"

Chloe hadn't been expecting the offer, but she nodded as she placed her mug on the saucer. "I'd like that." Together they stood up and Chloe made sure to wave at the baristas as they took their leave.

Her childhood and temporary home wasn't far from Tahli's, one of the many appeals of the local cafe, but in the process, most of the walk had been spent in silence, with Chloe or Oliver stealing the odd glance at the other.

As they approached the building, Oliver tried to open the door, but Chloe beat him to it and gestured for him to enter first. "Please... you first. You've been opening doors for me all day."

"Well, I haven't exactly had the opportunity to do so in a while."

Letting go of the door, Chloe followed him into the building. "You could have visited."

"You could have told me you were leaving before you left."

Chloe hung her head and sighed. "I'm not sure I could have left here if did."

Putting a hand on her back, Oliver said reassuringly, "Don't worry about it... you're here now."

"Thanks," Chloe said through a chuckle as she headed towards the stairwell. "Want to race up the stairs for old time's sake?"

"Do you actually expect to beat me in those heels?"

"If memory serves me correctly, I've beaten you twice in heels."

"Because I let you," Oliver remarked.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Chloe fired back.

"On your count then," Oliver said lining himself up with Chloe.

"Three...two... one..." Her voice trailed as she looked at Oliver, waiting for the word, but Chloe was testing his patience. Unfortunately, her tactic didn't seem to be working.

"If you're expecting me to back down now, you're severely mistaken."

Ignoring him, Chloe continued counting, "A half... a quarter..."

"Really, we're going to fractions?"

"One-eight, one-sixteenth..."

Letting up on his stance, Oliver rolled his eyes. "Come on Chloe, just –"

Seeing her opening, Chloe said, "Go!" and slipped through the door and ran up the stairwell. She could hear the clatter of Oliver behind her, but she knew that she had enough of a lead to win. It was weird doing this again, they used to have stair races all the time when they were kids, but she felt more joy doing it as an adult than she ever got as a kid.

Taking a moment to catch her breath, Chloe whipped through the other door and waited for Oliver as she leaned against the wall. Sure enough, within seconds, Oliver had made his way to the door and smiled upon seeing her smirking at him on the other side.

"Nicely played, Sullivan."

With a shrug, Chloe said, "I learned from the best... thanks for letting me win again."

"Who said that I let you win?"

She scoffed. "Come on Oliver, you honestly didn't think that I'd notice you delaying your start by a couple of seconds?"

Oliver conceded, "You haven't lost your perceptiveness I see."

"As if there was any doubt?"

Motioning his hand towards the north hallway, Oliver asked, "Can I escort you to your door?" as he offered his arm.

Accepting it, Chloe nodded with a slight grin. "You may."

They walked in unison down the hallway for the necessary steps to get to the apartment Chloe shared with her father.

Releasing his arm, Chloe fumbled in her purse for her keys. Upon successfully finding them, Chloe said softly, "Thanks for today Oliver, it was great to see you."

Without thinking about it, Oliver leaned to softly kiss her lips. It was just for a second, but he knew that he had caught her by surprise when he heard the keys hit the floor and saw the slight pink that encompassed her cheeks as he backed away. "You too," Oliver said with a grin, and he left Chloe standing at her door, only looking back once more as he opened the door to the stairwell to see her zip into the apartment and out of sight.

It probably was a mistake, but Chloe's window of single-dom never stayed open very long, and Oliver wanted to know what it felt like to kiss her, even if it was for just a moment.


	2. Part 2

_Author Note: This keeps growing... I swore to myself this would just be a two-shot. Now we're likely looking at four parts. As for people waiting for Calendar Girl updates... March is coming I swear._

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**Part 2**

What the hell was that? Did that actually happen...had he just kissed her?

Chloe had pressed her body against the back of the door, trying to hold in her embarrassment as she knew that Oliver had witnessed her flushed cheeks before he walked away from her, leaving her to deliberate what just happened. They had held hands before, but usually it was their little joke to misdirect the tabloids that always thought they were dating, but he had never kissed her. It was short, sweet, and innocent, but for some reason, Chloe couldn't shake the unexpected feeling it gave her. Oliver always had a way of surprising her, starting from the day they met.

It was her eighth birthday and she was walking through the hallway of the lobby to talk to her father when a tennis ball hit her square on the back of the head. Chloe winced in pain, but held her strength as she turned and saw a slightly older blonde boy walking up to her repeatedly apologizing.

She had thought about telling him to stop, but instead she shoved the ball back in his direction, catching him slightly off balance, but he managed to catch it and gave her a smirk as he looked back up. Her dad called her to his post and scolded her for messing with his boss' son, however, when he wasn't looking, Chloe noticed Oliver was laughing at her, so she stuck her tongue at him.

Later that night, he came by with a cupcake with a candle in it. He wished her a happy birthday and asked if she wanted to play the next day.

It was rare that the boy who lived on the top floor wanted anything to do with the doorman's daughter who lived on the second floor, but that moment was a beginning of a beautiful friendship.

"You alright Chloe?"

Shaking from her reverie, Chloe blinked a couple times and noticed her dad was staring at her like she was going insane... then again, maybe she was.

"Fine," she said. "Just... going to have a shower."

"You had fun at the party?"

Chloe racked her brain as she remembered the party before she saw Oliver. It was the birthday party of one of her father's friends, who coincidentally worked for Queen Industries, but when Chloe showed up in her father's place, she had fully expected to see Mr. or Mrs. Queen.

"Yeah, it was good."

"Did you see Oliver while you were there?"

Her eyes immediately widened. "How did you –?"

Gabe grinned at her. "Why did you think I wanted you to go?"

"Wait, so you didn't have to work?"

"Not until 8, I've got the graveyard shift tonight." Gabe grabbed his coat and slipped it through his arms and picked up his key from the coffee table. Meanwhile, Chloe turned to look over at the clock. 7:50. Even though the party went into the night, Chloe told her father that she would be home for dinner at five.

"Dad, I – "

Adjusting his hat, Gabe interrupted, "No need to explain, kiddo. I'm sure you two had a lot to catching up to do. Leftovers are in the fridge."

"Thanks Dad."

Without further word, Gabe left their apartment and Chloe could feel sense there was a lot more going on there then he was telling her, but Chloe decided to let it go, and just have a shower to clear her head.

As she listened to the silence that filled the apartment, Chloe realized for the first time what it must have been like for her father after she left. Chloe did feel bad for spontaneously leaving, but she needed a change of scenery, and it took living away for those three years for her to realize all of the good things she had in Star City.

Losing her mother was tough, but she had family, friends... an actual social life. In Kansas, Chloe got so caught up in her work because she was afraid of meeting new people. However, losing her job made her realize that she had pushed away the people she cared about, and caught the first plane she could back to Star City.

Upon landing, she took a cab to the cemetery and visited to her mom for the first time since the funeral. Chloe apologized for the delay and told her that whenever it rained, she always thought of her... which was true. Even as the cold water of the shower splashed against her bare skin, she couldn't help but remember leaving the hospital that day.

Moira Sullivan had been in and out of the hospital for two years, so when Chloe heard that her mother had finally succumbed to lung cancer, her initial reaction was relief... relief that her mother was at peace. But the further she got away from her room, the more the sadness had set in.

Seeing that it was raining outside, Chloe felt her emotions getting the best of her, so she rushed towards her car to try and be alone. However, Oliver had seen her and grabbed her arm before she had a chance to reach her so-called refuge. Seeing him drenched, searching her eyes for a sign of her current emotions was the final straw, and Chloe caved. They must have stood in that parking lot for what felt like an hour, but despite the rain, Oliver never moved and insisted on taking care of her for the next couple days after she fell ill.

Feeling the water slowly warm up reminded her of the warmth of his body as he wrapped her up in his arms to cheer her up. She instinctively lifted her arms, but soon after, opened her eyes to remind herself that he wasn't there this time, and this was just her imagination.

However, when she needed him, Chloe could always rely on Oliver, because while he did all those things for her, her boyfriend at the time refused to cancel his surfing trip to Mexico when her mother's diagnosis worsened, and even after her passing, he refused to come home. So the moment he showed up at her door, she slammed it in his face. Chloe was tired of being treated like garbage, so she decided to not go out with the first guy who asked, and only dated three guys after her mother died.

The first one, Eric, ended after two months. He was hot and he could make her coffee better than anyone, but he never shut up about his so-called acting ability. Then came Ben, who decided to completely embarrass her by talking about their sex life (but usually the lack thereof) to all of his friends... that was nine months down the drain. Then, the cherry on top...Tim. Chloe dated him for almost two years, and she actually liked Tim, and thought they had potential for something. That was until she found that Tim had been cheating on her for six months. When asked why he did that to her, Tim said simply that he was jealous of Oliver and accused Chloe of being in love with him, which Chloe thought was ridiculous.

Of course Chloe loved Oliver; he was her best friend after all. Besides, who wouldn't be in love with the boy next door (or fifty stories up) if he always looked out for her and kept her happy, no matter what? They may have been known as the prince and the pauper in the papers, but he looked at her like she mattered, which was more than she could say for any of her boyfriends. Oliver was the best friend that she could possibly ask for, and nothing was going to change that. Unfortunately, Tim failed to grasp the idea that there is more than one type of love, and all he said as he left the room was that she had it coming.

_Asshole_ was the only thing she said back.

So after the Tim fiasco, which no one actually found out about, Chloe decided to give up dating altogether for a while and explore the world outside of California. It killed her leaving Oliver without saying goodbye, but she figured that leaving while he was on a business trip with his dad would make saying goodbye easier. However, if Chloe didn't know it was wrong before their eyes met at the party, she sure did now.

Fortunately, she had enough courage to approach him, and after their long embrace, Chloe felt confident that Oliver was willing to forgive her... until he kissed her.

Stepping out of the shower, she grabbed a towel to wrap around herself as she left the clothes she had been wearing pooled on the floor. Chloe knew she was just overreacting to the whole thing... he was just happy to see her, nothing wrong with that.

**~0~**

The next afternoon, Chloe left the apartment with an ice cream pail in hand. It wasn't the best form of presentation... but it was the best she could do on short notice. Walking into the elevator, she pressed the penthouse button and held her breath as she watched the elevator doors close.

The entire ride up, Chloe thought about what she should say to her. Laura Queen had always been accepting of her, but so much time had gone by.

Here goes, Chloe thought as she knocked on the door, this was the moment of truth.

She waited patiently for about twenty seconds, and was about to leave when Laura's smiling face came into her line of vision. "Oliver told me that he ran into you yesterday, come on in Chloe."

Lifting up her pail, Chloe smiled widely as she entered the room. "I bring cookies. Oliver told me it might clear the air in the board room."

Robert Queen entered the room and quickly stole the pail from Chloe. Looking over to his wife, he smiled as he left. "Great idea having me come home for lunch, dear." He tipped his head in Chloe's direction, "Chloe, it's a pleasure to see you're back."

Laura sighed as she watched her husband walk into the elevator. Seeing her reaction, Chloe pulled a Ziploc bag from her coat pocket. "I figured he might do that... so I saved a couple for you. I'm afraid I'm not as good of a baker as my mom, but–"

"Thank you." Laura gestured her to sit down. "Can I get you anything to drink?"

"No, I'm fine."

Laura walked over to the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee. "So Oliver tells me that you're looking for an apartment."

Settling on the couch, Chloe nodded. "Yeah, considering I'm likely being blacklisted for any journalist work in Kansas, I figured there was no place like home."

"If you have any issues finding a job, you know you can come to us, right?"

"No offence Mrs. Queen, but I hope it doesn't come to that."

"How many times have I told you to call me Laura?"

Chloe smiled. "Enough times, I'm sure."

"Anyway... I was wondering if you wanted to go apartment hunting with me. The final say would be yours, but I have a friend who sells apartments around here and she's waiting on our call."

"Laura... you don't have to do that. I -"

The older women put a finger up to stop Chloe from continuing. "Believe me... as happy as you are to be home right now... you'll want your own space soon."

Chloe realized the validity in her point and nodded again. "I'd love to."

**~0~**

For the next three hours, Laura's realtor had showed Chloe multiple apartments. The first was a fixer-upper that Chloe knew she had no time to fix-up; the second looked like something out of a catalogue, which actually terrified Chloe; and while she liked the third one, the only way she was making the rent was if she sold everything she had.

The fourth however, was perfect: the size, the price, and it even had a neighbourhood coffee shop at the end of the block. Within minutes, Chloe had signed the papers to move in and she felt like celebrating. Wondering back to her father's flat, she quickly found the red dress she had been saving for a night out.

Truth be told, she bought it her first week in Metropolis in case she had a social life, but she didn't have time between chasing down leads and avoiding trouble. The few nights she did have was spent at home, trying to recuperate enough for the next month's workload.

Doing up the ankle clasp on her black stilettos, Chloe grabbed her coat and clutch and headed for the door. Despite initially considering meeting him there, Laura said that Oliver had been working all day, even refusing a family lunch, so she figured he would have a harder time refusing her in person.

Feeling the cool breeze against her legs, Chloe was grateful for her coat as she made the trek to surprise him, although he'd likely kill her for walking alone while it was dark out. However, the walk was short, and nothing happened, so she simply smiled as the people in the lobby kindly greeted her and a man held the elevator door for her.

Once she got to his floor, she walked directly to his office and noticed that his assistant was in the process of logging off for the night. She always liked Katie because she was like Chloe, they had no money in comparison to board members, but that didn't stop them from respecting either woman.

They took a couple moments to catch up before saying their goodbyes and then Katie added, "You probably don't want to go in there. It hasn't been an easy day for him."

Chloe sighed, "Thanks for the warning, but I can handle him."

"I never said _that." _ Katie said before taking down the hallway.

With a grin, Chloe opened the door to his office and realized that hadn't even caused Oliver to look up. "Your mother said that you might still be here."

Fortunately, her voice snapped Oliver out of his deliberation. "Someone's got to make sure that..." Oliver's voice trailed when he looked up and watched Chloe undo a couple buttons of her coat, partially revealing the dress. "Where are you going?"

"Out... and you're coming with me."

Looking back at his paperwork, he shook his head. "Believe me, I'd love to, but I have to take care of this."

Chloe placed her hands on the desk and leaned down to look at him. "You've been here since what... 6 am? You need to get out of here, Oliver, even your father's saying that you're working too hard."

"Says the workaholic who didn't return a single phone call after she skipped town." Upon saying it, Oliver dropped his pen and looked up at Chloe, whose expression had soured. "You're right, when I'm acting like a complete asshole to you... probably a good time to call it a day."

She bowed her head. "Ollie, I..."

Getting up from his chair, Oliver put his hand on her shoulder. "I could have visited, you could have called... we could have done a lot of things... but that doesn't matter now, not to me."

"I am sorry."

Moving away from her to grab his coat, he looked back towards her and gave her his best smile. "I know." He put his arm around her shoulder as they walked out of his office. "So what's the plan?"

"You're buying me a drink, possibly several, at the new hot spot to celebrate me buying a new place."

"When?" Oliver asked as he pressed the button for the elevator.

"This afternoon, I mean, I can't move in for a couple of weeks, but I figured, what the hell?"

"Beats working," he replied, watching the elevator doors close.

**~0~**

Within minutes, they had found themselves sitting at the bar, downing a couple shots and commenting on the pompousness of some of the club's patrons. It was just like old times, when they sat at functions shamelessly mocked the people Oliver couldn't stand. Sure, it was childish, but considering you had to pay $40 for beer in a wine glass, they honestly didn't care.

As Chloe scanned the place for a new target, her eyes immediately widened at the sight of a familiar face.

"Anna!"

The woman turned around upon hearing the muffled calling of her name, but once she saw Chloe, she quickly ran up to hug her. "I heard rumours... but I refused to believe they were true."

Anna had been their favourite barista at Tahli's. She couldn't make an almond mocha to save her life, but her smile and overall manner were superior to any other person there. She left once Eric started working there because she honestly couldn't tolerate him, which should have been a clue to Chloe because Anna got along with pretty much anyone.

"How have you been?" Oliver asked.

"Better question, can you finally make an almond mocha?" Chloe added.

Anna shook her head and replied, "Not good enough for your standards I'm afraid, but I'm good."

"God, how long has it been?"

"Well, I quit Tahli's..."

A man approached Anna and kissed her on the cheek. "There you are," he turned to look at Chloe with a subtle grin. "You're back."

"I am," Chloe said, almost frozen in place upon seeing his face. After taking a second to look between Oliver and Anna, she turned back to him and asked, "Can I talk to you for a minute... in private?"

Chloe dragged the man across the club to find a place private... this wasn't a conversation she wanted to have with an audience. When she stopped walking she turned to face him with angry eyes, "What the hell are you doing?"

"You don't get to tell me who to date."

She sighed. "I know that Tim, you didn't exactly listen to me when we were dating. You cheated on me, remember?"

"Well, I was right, wasn't I?" Tim asked as he pointed in the direction from where they came from. "Just friends, my ass. You come back with your tail between your legs and voila, just like I always said."

"It's not like that."

He let out a sarcastic chuckle and muttered, "Right."

Chloe furrowed her eyebrows and shook her head, not caring that he didn't believe her. "What happened to you? You used to be a decent guy."

He hovered over Chloe, causing her to back up to a wall. "You compare everyone to _him_, you know that? After a while, it's a little hard for a regular guy to measure up to Oliver Queen."

She shoved him back and shot him a glare. "That's not it, and you know it. I refuse to let you hurt Anna, she's a good person."

"Yeah, she thinks we broke up because of the job offer. Funny how you never mentioned the real reason to anyone."

"I felt humiliated, and besides, I thought you were leaving for Chicago after we broke up, so it seemed unnecessary. But you're right," Chloe said as she tried to walk around him, "Anna deserves to know the truth."

Tim grabbed her arm and yanked her back against the wall. "You'll do no such thing, you know why? Because you'll hurt Anna more than I could, and then Oliver would know how you really feel."

Chloe tried to pull her arm loose, however Tim wouldn't budge. "Oh please, do we really have to go through this again?"

"You hide behind a facade... or maybe you really don't see it, but remember at the end of the day, you're the pauper to his prince and while your little game sells papers, he'll get bored with you and dump you on the side of the road when it's convenient."

"Oliver's nothing like you." Chloe spat. "And I have no idea what I ever saw in you."

She tried breaking his grip again, but Tim tightened it, and upon seeing her recoil, his snide smile grew, "See, you say all that, but beneath all that snark... you're just a scared little girl."

"Let her go."

She saw Tim roll his eyes as he turned to face Oliver with his hands in the air. "She's all yours, she always was."

Chloe walked around Tim and behind Oliver, but before she had a chance to say anything, she saw Tim dropping to the ground like a fly and Oliver shaking his hand.

"Oliver!"

Tim wasn't a weakling by any means, so he was up on his feet soon after, ready to fight back, but security soon intervened and escorted both of them out with Chloe not far behind. Once they let them go, they were ready to fight right on the street, but Chloe stepped in between them and glared at the two men.

"Stop! Both of you, please." Looking up at Tim, she warned. "Go home."

Fortunately for Chloe, he backed off. "Fine, I'll go."

Once he was out of sight, Oliver muttered, "Asshole."

"Yeah," Chloe said through a slight chuckle, "he is." Turning to face him, she asked, "Are you okay?"

"Fine, how about you?" He stroked the place where Tim had grabbed her arm and then looked up into her eyes.

With a shrug, Chloe broke away from him and began to walk away. "As good as can be expected."

"Why didn't you tell me he cheated on you?"

Chloe's eyebrows furrowed as she turned around. "There's no way you could have heard that."

"I didn't... Anna did."

"Crap, that wasn't how I wanted her to find out. Is she okay?"

"I got my driver to take her home... she's fine. We'll have to walk back though, and I'll likely crash at my folks' place tonight, so if you don't mind the company..."

Chloe hadn't heard anything Oliver said because she couldn't stop thinking about what happened between her and Tim. When he dating, he was always sweet to her, but now it just felt like one big lie. She slunk forward as she continued to walk down the block, but she could hear his footsteps behind her. "I feel so stupid. Was he always that bad?"

"No... he was one of the good ones." It was the truth, of all of her exes, Tim was the last one that Oliver thought that he'd have to do that to, but after hearing the truth from a confused Anna, he had to.

"Says wonders for my judgment if he's one of the good ones," Chloe said sarcastically.

Oliver grabbed her shoulder and stopped her from getting away. "Don't blame yourself. He _was _ a good person... he isn't anymore, that's not your fault."

"How do you know?"

"Because I know you... you bring out the best in everyone." Oliver turned her around and tucked a loose curl behind her ear. "And for the record, I'm not going to get bored with you. If anything, you're stuck with me."

Managing a smile, Chloe nodded. "I know, but thanks."

Taking the next couple blocks in silence, Oliver saw the doorman at his parent's building and asked, "Does your dad know?"

Chloe's eyes widened, "No, and you can't tell him." She waved at Stan, the other doorman, as she walked into the building and headed to the stairwell.

"Well, this is where I take my leave," Oliver said as he started for the elevators. "I'm all for exercise, but even I have my limits."

"Okay."

"Are you going to be okay?"

"I think so." She smiled at him as she started up the stairs, but hearing her heels against the cold metal stairs scared her, and Chloe knew it didn't get easier once she got into the apartment with her dad out of town. Jumping down the few stairs she did climb, she opened the door and found Oliver stepping into the elevator, but he saw her and walked out quickly before the doors had a chance to close.

"Hey you," he said softly, not really sure what else to say.

"Can you do me a favour?"

"Anything."

"My dad's on a golfing trip for the next couple of days... and I don't want to be alone right now."

Oliver nodded and walked with her up to the stairs and into her apartment. He watched her take off her shoes and throw her coat across the room. Oliver followed suit, folding his coat over a kitchen chair and settling on a living room couch. He was about to close his eyes when he heard her calling his name. Standing up, he tapped on her door before opening it to find Chloe on her bed still in her dress.

"Can you... can you stay with me?"

"You sure?"

Seeing her nod, Oliver laid down next to her as Chloe cuddled up against him and shut her eyes. Instinctively wrapping his arms around her, Oliver pressed her closer and kissed the top of her head before he let himself fall asleep.


	3. Part 3

**Part 3**

It had been a long night, and in a way, an even longer morning for Anna. Looking down into her bag, she searched herself for strength as she started up the steps. The coffee would help, she supposed, but Anna wasn't sure if what she was doing was a great idea. Part of her wanted to let sleeping dogs lie, but seeing what happened between Chloe and Tim, it was time, and Anna was finally ready to face the consequences. Taking a deep breath, she was about to continue walking when she heard the door open.

When she saw Oliver on the other side, Anna said with a smile, "Why am I not surprised to see you here?"

The same couldn't be said for Oliver, as he hardly expected to see anyone, let alone Anna, at this moment. He saw her bow her head slightly and reach into her coat before he finally asked, "How are you holding up?"

He had been concerned about her since he let his driver take her home, and it was clear that she was still shaken up from everything, even though her mouth tugged into a grin.

"I've had better days, but I thought I'd check up on Chloe." Bowing her head, she took a couple steps up before saying softly, "For the record, I'm happy for you two."

"What?"

Seeing the shock on his face, Anna quickly backpedalled. "Oh... sorry... I thought that..."

"No, nothing happened." He let the door close behind him as he approached the stairs. "But if you need anyone to talk to... I'm here."

Anna frowned slightly as she sat on the top step and put her tray of coffee down. Here goes nothing, she thought. After patting the space next to her, she turned her head back to Oliver. "Thanks, but the scary thing is that you might need that more than I do."

He furrowed his eyebrows. "What makes you say that?"

Turning her head back around, she said softly, "Do you remember what you did the day you found out Chloe left?"

Oliver initially took a step back before sitting next to her. "I'm surprised you remember."

After grabbing her coffee and taking a sip, Anna stared at the wall as she confessed, "It's not every day a girl like me gets propositioned by Oliver Queen." She sighed as bowed her head. "I know you didn't mean anything by it... but it still caught me off-guard, although it shouldn't have. I knew something was wrong before you even said anything."

"How?"

Looking at the other cup at the tray, she responded, "You bought an almond mocha with extra whip."

"So?"

"I prepared your coffee for five years, so I know you never stray away from black coffee unless you need a boost and you add two sugars. Almond mochas... they were Chloe's drink." She finally faced Oliver before continuing. "Then there's the fact that you stared at it for two hours."

His head moved back at that statement before his eyes narrowed. "I did?"

Anna nodded. "My guess is you wanted a reminder of her, and Chloe always left an aroma of almond mochas no matter where she went. As you sat there, I contemplated whether it was the most romantic or the creepiest thing I had ever seen. Knowing you two as well as I do... I settled on the former."

He rubbed his hand on the back of his neck. "I just missed her."

"Nice try... I'm going to bet that you think that was the last time you thought you saw me that night?"

"Wasn't it?"

She shook her head as she stood up. "Ever wonder how you ended up back in your apartment and not in the hospital or police station?"

In a moment of desperation, Oliver grabbed her arm. "You?"

She tapped his hand with hers and made her way to the door."I was worried about you. After my shift, I found you at some seedy bar doing shots and with the help of the bouncer, I got you to my car." Pausing to take one last look back, Anna grinned. "That's when you told me that you were in love with Chloe."

Oliver finally got up to turn and face her."Why didn't you say anything?"

Anna said calmly, "Why would I? You were distraught, drunk out of your mind, and not to mention that you propositioned me while you were sober... I just figured we'd forget about it."

"Until now."

"Yeah... until now. You deserved to know... everything. And so does Chloe."

Pointing to the coffees, Oliver said, "You should probably go see her before it gets too cold," before turning his back to her.

"Oliver... one of these days you have to tell her how you feel."

"Someday," he said quietly.

"Don't wait too long this time and make her go through another Tim."

After she watched Oliver as he wordlessly walked down the steps, Anna found the way to Chloe's door, sighing as she knocked on it.

**~0~**

Chloe fluttered her eyes open and rolled over to find a note on the other side of the bed, reminding her of the events of the previous night. Finding an apartment, fighting with Tim, falling asleep with Oliver at her side. Not seeing him there actually made her realize how much she missed him. Sure, he had a good reason... work was always going to be important, and he had no obligation to stay, but she felt herself frowning because she missed the way she had felt in his arms. He made her feel safe, appreciated... _loved._

Hearing the knock on the door, Chloe scrambled to the door, expecting to see Oliver, but instead found a different smiling face on the other side.

"Anna."

"Morning Chloe!" Anna said, taking note of the fact Chloe was still in her dress from last night. "Are you okay?"

Chloe blinked a few times, hoping her disappointment wasn't that transparent. "Yeah. What's up?"

"I come bearing an almond mocha... and I wanted to talk about last night." Chloe brought it to her lips happily and frowned slightly when she realized it was cold. "Sorry, I ran into Oliver on the way."

"Oh... he..."

"Kept you company, relax, he told me," Anna finished. "But there's something I need to tell you."

"Okay."

Anna bit her bottom lift before her expression turned more serious. "You might want to sit down."

Chloe narrowed her eyes. "Anna... what's going on?"

"Last night... this morning? Doesn't matter...Tim came by to talk to me... he wanted to give me his side of the story."

"Please tell me you didn't listen."

"I gave him five minutes... and he made good use of them."

Chloe rolled her eyes as she took a seat on the couch. "What did he tell you?"

Anna followed suit, sitting on a chair across from Chloe. "He meant every word he said at the club... but he was just frustrated because he could never measure up."

"Please tell me that you're not still together."

Anna shook her head. "But I'm part of the reason he cheated on you."

The sudden confession caused Chloe's head to retract, but she soon regained herself. "I don't follow."

"He cheated on you because he wanted to see if he could. The girl didn't even know you two were dating because everyone assumes the same thing."

"Oliver."

Anna nodded her head in agreement. "Every two days Oliver's in a tabloid, often with you by his side. I don't condone what Tim did to you, but..."

"I don't get how this is your fault," Chloe interjected.

"Well...you didn't want to find out the truth about Tim the way you did, neither did I. Let's just say I learned from that."

Chloe's expression remained confused. "From what? I don't get what you have to do with this."

"You remember when my dad needed emergency surgery and my mother took a second job just to pay the medical bills?"

"Yes."

"Well, my mom wasn't the only one with a second job." Anna reached into her bag and pulled out a file folder, placing in on the coffee table between the two women. Chloe opened the folder and looked through the papers inside. It was full of pictures and articles, bringing back fond memories Oliver and her had shared. "I was approached by a tabloid editor, and he asked me do to some undercover work on you two. I initially refused, but they promised to pay me four times my salary."

"How long?"

"Six months... I quit once the hospital bills were paid."

"I can't believe this."

Anna wiped a tear from her eye, but stayed strong as she continued, "You can hate me all you want, and I wouldn't blame you, but it killed me seeing my dad in the hospital. All that time, when they told me to screw the truth and get the money shot... it was the worst time of my life."

"I believe you."

"Well... there's more. When I did quit, they insisted on me staying. That's when I realized that they needed me more than I needed them, so I stayed on the condition that I controlled what they printed. But then you left three weeks later, and I realized how selfish I was being and got out for good."

"I'm glad my leaving did something good around here."

"Do you regret it now?"

"I don't know... part of me does."

"I know this is going to sound strange, but I think it was for the best. I wouldn't have come clean if you didn't leave."

"Why not?"

Anna sighed. "Because I screwed up... and this gives me a chance to make it right... for everyone." Anna reached over to pull a tape player out of her coat pocket. "I wouldn't have had that if you didn't leave."

"What is this?"

"The audio equivalent of a money shot... and I've had it for three years. I know you've forgiven me, but this proves you can trust me." Anna slipped on her coat and took one last look at Chloe. "What you do with it is up to you. You can listen to it, throw it out... it's your call. Even though Oliver would likely kill me if knew I taped this, you deserved the truth... all of it."

Before Anna could open the door, Chloe quickly said, "Anna... I do forgive you."

"Thank you. You have no idea what that means to me."

With that, Anna left the room and sighed as she closed the door, wondering if Chloe would actually listen to it. If she did, then she knew that Anna was lying. The recording did exist, but she accidentally recorded over most of it. However if necessary, Anna could fill in the blanks. Even though was a long time ago... she remembered that night like it was yesterday.

_Anna pulled one of Oliver's arms, trying to get him away from his latest shot. _"_Come on Ollie, I'm getting you out of here."_

_He easily shook off her grip and downed the alcohol. _"_What's the point?"_

"_She'll be back, or she'll visit... this isn't goodbye." Anna grabbed one of his arms and was able to successfully drag him off the stool. "Work with me, Oliver... you have a good hundred pounds on me."_

"_What do you care?"_

_She swallowed as she realized that her recorder was still on, but couldn't turn off the recording until she got to her car. Biting her lip, Anna continued to drag him across the bar. "I'm your friend Oliver."_

"_Yeah right," he muttered back.  
_

_At the door, the bouncer had walked over to her and asked, "Need help?'_

_Anna nodded and pointed her head towards her car. Oliver initially struggled at the switch, but eventually he relaxed as the bouncer set him down in the passenger seat._

"_Thanks," she said before the bouncer waved and took off. After closing the passenger door, Anna found her way to the driver's seat and was about to put the key in the ignition when he heard him whisper something._

"_I loved her, you know."_

_She whipped her head around to look at him. "What?"_

"_I... I never told her...Chloe... I loved her."_

"_Shit," she said as she scrambled for the off-switch on her recording device._

The rest of the car ride was quiet, and Oliver eventually fell asleep, making her job of getting him upstairs a lot harder, but she had done it. As for the recording, Anna had held onto it, wondering what to do with it. Even though giving it to the tabloid was never an option, Anna knew she couldn't just walk up to Chloe and Kanas and say "By the way, Oliver loves you." It wasn't that simple.

So Anna let it collect dust until yesterday, content on letting that be her little secret. But after hearing what Tim said to Chloe, tracking that tape down was the first thing she did when she got home that night. Something Tim had said had been ringing in her ears.

_After a while, it's a little hard for a regular guy to measure up to Oliver Queen._

The whole time she stood there, the thing that got her attention wasn't that Tim cheated on Chloe, it was that he felt inadequate next to Oliver. That was her confirmation that Chloe felt the same, so Anna listened to the recording for an hour, wondering how she was going to explain it to either of them.

When Tim came to her, she thought she had frantically pressed the stop button as it was rewinding, but she had really pressed the record button. After Tim had left and Anna realized what she had done, she wanted to pull her hair out. All this time, she likely had what Chloe wanted to hear and she never gave it to her... now it was gone.

Anna didn't sleep the entire night because she was so frustrated about her error. So she got up and began collecting all of her work and put it in a folder. This was the facet of her confession that she could control. At six, she headed down to Tahli's and ordered the coffee and headed to Chloe's building, ready to tell her everything, but at the stairwell, she choked.

How was she supposed to explain to one of her closest friends that she had spied on her and Oliver behind her back for almost seven months?

When she finally gained enough courage to climb the steps, Oliver had opened the door, and she realized that this was her chance. Anna had planned on playing what was left of the recording and then explaining the rest for Chloe, but instead, she reached inside of her coat and clicked the record button before she said her first words to him. Oliver was too afraid to tell Chloe the truth, so when she said that she was happy for them, it was all a bluff to get him to open up. Part of her felt guilty for playing him, but it was done now... now it was up to Chloe to determine whether or not it was worthwhile.

**~0~**

Meanwhile, Chloe stared at the tape recorder wondering what she was supposed to do. After a couple minutes, she found the courage to press the play button. 


	4. Part 4

**Part 4**

With the last box into the moving van, Anna looked over to Chloe and asked, "That's it?"

"I think so," Chloe answered, "Thanks again for helping me out."

"I'm always willing to help out... especially when your partner in crime's out of town."

Chloe and Oliver had been inseparable since they saw each other at the party, but he had been away on business with his father for two weeks, while Chloe had been busy with job applications and getting ready to move. While Chloe understood that they weren't kids anymore, and with that came the responsibilities of the future, that didn't make her miss him any less.

Getting into the car, Chloe looked over at her purse. "Speaking of Oliver... that recording you gave me... that was the only copy, right?"

"Yes," Anna replied.

"Good," Chloe said as she pushed her key into the ignition, "because I destroyed it."

"Did you..."

"No," Chloe interrupted, knowing the question that was on her mind. "I got to the point where you offer him someone to talk to, and then I stopped it."

"Why?"

Chloe sighed as she glanced in her rear-view mirror before switching lanes. "That recording wasn't from three years ago... it was from that morning, wasn't it?"

Anna bowed her head and whispered, "And if it was?"

"Then I'm not going to let you throw away your friendship with Oliver over a lapse of judgment. You know better than that."

"I… just wanted something good to happen to make up for what I did to you two."

She stopped a traffic light and turned her head towards the passenger side. "You came clean... crazy as that sounds, that would have been enough for me. Look, I'm willing to give you a second chance, but I need you to promise me that you won't revert back to desperate measures to solve problems."

"Okay," Anna said while nodding nervously.

"You can relax, you know," Chloe said with a smile, but when Anna's expression didn't change, she turned her head towards the road. "You screwed up, I'm not disputing that. But I know you meant well."

Anna broke her silence, "That doesn't make what I did better. That doesn't mean I even deserve a second chance."

"Considering all of the things you could have written, you held back a lot in your articles. Furthermore, you could have sold that recording if it was that important and you didn't. You're a good person, Anna, remember that."

"Okay," Anna said as she watched Chloe pull into a parking spot. "If you don't mind me asking…what made you stop listening? Weren't you at least a little curious?"

Chloe eyebrows quirked up as she retracted her seatbelt. "Of course, but if Oliver wants to tell me something, he will."

"And if he doesn't?"

"Then it's none of my business," Chloe answered as she opened the door.

After that, there wasn't a lot of conversation between the two women as they lifted boxes up to Chloe's apartment. It was just as perfect as Chloe remembered it and she was looking forward to having her own space in Star City. Anna was over at the window, admiring the view when she noticed a single box was still left in the van. As Chloe had already started unpacking, Anna figured that she could grab it.

"I'll be right back," Anna said as she left the apartment. She quickly descended down the elevator and ran to grab it when she heard a familiar voice.

"Why don't you let me carry that?"

Anna felt herself catching her breath as she peered up and saw Oliver's smiling face. Before she had a chance to catch herself, she blurted, "I was a undercover tabloid reporter for seven months."

"What?"

"I betrayed your trust twice and I don't deserve your friendship. I'm sorry."

"Anna, slow down."

"Three years ago and two weeks ago... I recorded a particular conversation. The first time was by accident, the other... any reason I can give you wouldn't condone it, nor the fact I gave it to Chloe."

"You gave it to - "

Seeing his eyes widen, Anna interjected, "She didn't listen to it, not the part that mattered. Just the beginning. And she was willing to give me a second chance that I'm not sure I deserve."

"Why tell me all this now?"

"I don't want this to be a secret between you two," Anna replied honestly.

"Anna, we're not..."

"Doesn't matter what you are. I want you to be able to trust her, and I'm don't want to be in the way of that." Anna dropped the box back to the pavement. "But you're right, you probably should carry that up. I've got work anyway."

She began to walk away when she heard Oliver say, "For what it's worth, thank you for being honest with me."

Anna turned her head to the side and said, "You're welcome," with a slight smile. "Goodbye Oliver."

Oliver watched her walk down the sidewalk, not really sure what to feel at that moment. Picking up the box, he began to head up to the apartment. Truthfully, he was hoping to help more with the move, but the business trip took more time than he wanted.

At her door, he noticed Chloe was in the middle of unpacking a box when he knocked on the door with his elbow.

"Hey Anna, did you happen to get the last box from the -" Chloe turned around and saw Oliver, and he noticed how her smile grew exponentially. "You're back." She quickly took the box and set it down so that she could hug him.

Oliver returned the embrace as his eyes lifted to look around the apartment. "Nice place."

"Thank you," Chloe said as she took a step back. Sighing as she looked at the boxes scattered throughout the apartment, she added, "It's funny…I don't remember having this much when I moved back."

"Probably because you had more guys at your mercy than just me."

She furrowed her eyebrows as she turned her head in his direction. "Come on... it was just one box." When Oliver quirked a eyebrow at her reaction, she just scoffed at him. "Oh please, you make me sound like I'm some kind of guy magnet."

He asked, "Well... who helped you unload your stuff when you moved home?"

"I was lifting a couple of my boxes when a couple brothers offered to help. Add the moving guy..." Her voice trailed as Chloe noticed Oliver's smile widening. "It wasn't like that."

"How many of them left you their number?"

Chloe opened her mouth to respond, but soon after realization came across her face and she buried it in her hand. After letting Oliver enjoy his victory for a few seconds, she pointed out, "That doesn't mean I called any of them."

"Well... the actual unpacking is your job because I have to head back to work for awhile. I just wanted to drop off my house-warming gift considering my old man beat me to the punch." He held out two coffee gifts cards, one for Tahli's, and the other for the place on Chloe's block. "$100 each... figured they might last a week."

"Ollie... you didn't have to."

"Well, my mom helped you find the place, and I wasn't able to help with the move, so... I did actually have to do this." Picking up the stray newspaper on the counter, he added, "Any luck on the job front for you?"

Chloe nodded. "Interview on Tuesday with the Register... wish me luck?"

He put the newspaper back down and started walking towards the door. "You don't need it. You'll knock them dead with what you've done, and if you need anything, tell them to call my dad."

"I hope I won't have to... that'll likely cost me more than a couple dozen cookies."

"Well, he did buy you a new mixing bowl," Oliver pointed out.

"Can't say I'm surprised though. Mom's old one was getting pretty run down." Chloe walked up to him and gave him a hug. "Thanks."

"My pleasure."

**~0~**

Chloe was surprised to hear a knock on her door just minutes after Oliver left. Figuring he forgot something, she looked around, but she couldn't find anything. Opening the door, however, she found a different face on the other side. "Laura, how are you?"

"I'm doing well."

"Come on in."

"Thank you," Laura said as she walked into the apartment. "Looks like you've got quite the task ahead of you."

"Truer words never spoken." Chloe swiped the dirt off her fingers and headed towards another box. "Would you like something to drink? If you give me a minute, I'll likely be able to track down my glasses."

Laura shook her head. "Actually, I was wondering what your plans were for tonight."

"Unpacking?"

"There's an event at the Govenor's Ballroom that Robert and were supposed to attend, but he's been called away on business. I was hoping you'd accompany me as my plus one."

"Why not take Oliver?"

"He's already going, and besides, I know there would be plenty of people who would want to see you."

"Do you remember what happened at the last function I went to?"

"That's ancient history at this point." Laura said. "Please Chloe, I hate going to these things alone."

"Okay, why not?"

"Great." Laura had walked over for the door, but when she didn't hear any noise behind her, she stopped in the doorway and looked back at Chloe. "Something wrong?"

"No, it's just that –"

"Good, because we have plenty to do and only so much time."

Sighing as she grabbed her purse, Chloe smiled as she followed Laura out of her apartment.

**~0~**

After making his entrance, Oliver immediately noticed Chloe at the bar. She looked beautiful as always, but she looked lonely as she leaned against the counter with an empty champagne glass in her hand. Grabbing two full glasses from the nearest waiter, he walked over to her and handed her one of the glasses. "I always thought you'd refuse to come to one of these things after you spilled red wine on the Senator's wife's dress."

Placing her other glass on the counter before accepting his, Chloe said, "So did I, but your mother's very persuasive."

"She pulled the whole 'don't let me face them alone speech,' didn't she?"

Chloe playfully smacked his arm. "Hey, you're not allowed to mock it...it worked for you on multiple occasions."

"True, but she's had more practice dealing with these people than I did when I used it."

"Where's your date?" Chloe asked as she sipped her champagne.

"I came solo tonight. Actually, I stopped caring about plus ones about three years."

"Well, it's good to know that you're officially off the bimbo diet," Chloe blurted, not realizing how silly it sounded until the words left her lips.

"The bimbo _diet?_"

She shook her head before replying, "Sorry, I have no idea where that came from."

Oliver laughed as he stared out into the crowds of people mingling. "By the way...I found the article online...quite the dirt you picked on Luthor."

After Lex fired her, Chloe gave her scoop to an Internet blogger, but he made sure to credit Chloe for the intel. "I lost my job, so the truth had to be printed. Lex may not get jail time, but the humiliation will be enough."

"You know that he'll come after you."

"I know, but I can take care of anything he throws at me. Worst case scenario, you could put those muscles to good use." She glared up at him before adding, "Or your greenbacks."

Oliver's eyes narrowed. "What, you don't think I can take on Lex?"

Facing the people on the dance floor, Chloe leaned her elbows back on the counter. "Oh, you can handle him... I just don't know if you can handle the possibility of your pretty face getting mucked up before the TKO."

A single chuckle escaped Oliver as he asked, "You think I'm pretty?"

"Come on Oliver... you've been on several magazine covers, and you're Star City's most eligible bachelor. Let's face it... you could point at any girl in this place and she would likely do anything you asked." She turned her head to narrow her eyes at him. "You know that you're hot stuff."

"Interesting way of not answering a question," Oliver pointed out as he put his glass on the counter.

"It's not avoiding answering if it's common knowledge," Chloe replied.

"You've never said it before."

Chloe said with a shrug, "I kept you grounded... you had your girlfriends to satisfy the ego stroking."

Oliver opened his mouth to speak, hesitating on what he was about to say, but said it anyway. "As far as I'm concerned, you're the only real girlfriend I had."

"What?"

This was the point of no return, he thought, as he said his next words. "Other than my mom, you're the only woman that actually means anything to me."

Chloe stuttered before she finally managed to say, "Oh," while trying to hide her reddening cheeks. "Excuse me," she said as she started walking through the room.

Watching her walk away, Oliver just shook his head. Well… he tried. Grabbing another champagne glass, he downed it in one gulp and was ready for the night to be over, but after a few minutes, he turned his head to see his mother approaching him with a slight grin on his face.

"Evening dear."

"You look beautiful, mom."

"Thank you," she said as she stood beside him. "Are you planning on re-joining the party... or are you looking for Chloe to come back?"

"I think I scared her away," Oliver said with defeat.

"You caught her off-guard maybe, but this fell out of her purse on the way out." Laura leaned against the bar before placing Chloe's cell phone on the wood counter. "You know how much she relies on it, so you should probably go return it to her."

She noticed her son staring at the phone with great interest, but instead of taking it, he picked up his glass and began to walk away. Instinctively, Laura grabbed his arm to keep him from getting away. It may have seemed like a move of desperation, but all she wanted was to see Oliver smile like he did when he was around her.

Laura picked up the cell phone and walked around him to face him straight-on. "Oliver... this is as much of a glass slipper you're going to get."

Averting his eyes from his mother, Oliver leaned back against the bar. "It's not like that."

"I know...this isn't a chance encounter that ends at midnight. Chloe is no Cinderella because she's a strong woman who doesn't listen to anyone's rules but her own. You're better than Prince Charming, because you won't forget her in the morning and you treat her like an equal even when she's wearing sweatpants."

"What if she says no?"

"Then she says no, but I highly doubt she will."

Laura placed the cell phone back on the counter as she left Oliver there to deliberate.

**~0~**

"You think it would be easy to find a pillow," Chloe muttered to herself as she filtered through the boxes that filled her apartment. Her bed wasn't set to arrive for another week, so she had set out an air mattress and a blanket in a clear area of the room, but she couldn't find her pillow for the life of her.

Granted, she would be looking harder if she wasn't still in the dress. Chloe knew it looked silly, but she loved the way the dress felt on her, like it was meant for her, and for a moment, she could fit in with the world the Queen's lived in. She felt terrible for leaving the way she did, but she wasn't sure that she could face Oliver right now. There were too many things going on in her head, and she didn't want to do something she regretted.

With her head buried in a box, she heard a knock on her door. She raised an eyebrow, wondering who it could possibly be at this hour.

"Oliver!" Chloe said in shock, trying to fix her hair, which had become slightly dishevelled due to her burrowing it in boxes. "What are you doing here?"

"My mom told me to give you this." He held her cell phone and waited for her to take it.

"I didn't even know that I had lost it... thanks," Chloe said as she took it from him, "You didn't have to come all this way, though."

"I wanted to." Looking around her, Oliver raised an eyebrow at the state of her apartment. "Were you robbed?"

She sighed in frustration, "No... I'm trying to find my pillow."

"Can I help?"

"Sure... why not?"

Her response came across with a hint of nervousness, but she didn't want him to think anything was off. However, as the minutes ticked by, Chloe was ready to give up and call it a night when all of a sudden she felt she felt her pillow hit the back of her head.

"You could have just told me that you found it."

Turning around, Chloe picked up her pillow from the floor and looked at Oliver grinning at her. As he took a step towards her, he said, "I know, but that way was more fun."

"So…you're not sorry this time?"

Taking another step, Oliver shook his head. "No... I definitely meant to do that."

"Fine... I'm not sorry for this." Chloe tossed the pillow back with as much force as she could. Oliver had caught it with ease and as he stared at it, but remembering her reaction from earlier that night, a frown came across his face. He handed it back to Chloe and turned to leave when she said, "Since I've been back, there's been something different about you. I figured it was time, space... the usual things. But it's not... is it?"

"No," he admitted with his back still facing her. The words had froze him because he hadn't been expecting them, but he tried to sell that he was okay.

"As much as a jerk Tim was to me… he was right about one thing. All my ex-boyfriends... I compared them to you. I don't think it ever crossed my mind until... until I woke up that morning and was disappointed you were gone. Then you've been gone for the last couple of weeks… it made me see that the city was a lot emptier without you."

She paused momentarily as she watched Oliver turn around, taking a breath before continuing. "And then tonight, when you were talking about how important I was to you... I realized that everything I wanted was right in front of me."

"What are you saying?"

"I... I think I'm in love with you." She walked closer to him and placed a hand on his cheek.

"What?" Oliver couldn't believe his ears.

Upon hearing his question, Chloe blinked a couple times and quickly retracted her hands. "Oh my god... I feel so stupid. I thought that..." Turning her back to him, she began to walk away. "Forget I said anything."

Oliver quickly grabbed her hand and said, "Not going to happen... not when I've been in love with you for six years."

"What?" It was Chloe's turn to be confused, as she turned her head slightly, looked into his eyes for a sign on insincerity, but there wasn't one to be found. "Six years?"

"Six years," Oliver quietly replied.

Chloe took a single step away, trying to grasp what was happening. Looking up, she noticed her cell phone sitting atop of one of the boxes. She wasn't lying when she said that she didn't know that she had lost it. The only time her purse wasn't in her possession was when she left it with Laura for a couple of minutes as she straightened herself up in the bathroom. Laura knew exactly what she was doing... but Chloe knew Oliver had been acting differently too, and now it all made sense. All along... it had been her.

"Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"You weren't ever single long enough for to ever try," Oliver replied with a hint of defeat.

"That's not true. I was single for two months after I dumped what's-his-name."

"Care to narrow the guy down?"

After trying to remember his name, Chloe said, "The guy I was dating when my mom di... oh."

"I didn't want to be the rebound guy, the pity boyfriend... I wanted it to be something real... but then you left and I figured I wouldn't see you again. When I did, I…" He stopped talking as he noticed Chloe bringing her fingertips to her lips, "Yeah... I meant to do that too."

Chloe smiled as she finally turned to face him. Taking a deep breath she lifted herself up to kiss him. The motion had caused Oliver to back up, his head hitting the door, but the slight pain was the last thing on his mind, as he was quick to return the kiss as he pulled her as close as he could.

They backed away and Chloe began to lower herself back to the ground, trailing a finger down his chest, stopping just short of his waist before she stopped and looked up at him. "So what do we do now?"

"Whatever we want," Oliver said as he threaded his fingers through her hair.

"In that case... this is my first night in my new apartment, and while I checked the neighbourhood out... who knows what's lurking downstairs?"

"Say no more." Oliver leaned in to kiss her cheek before leading her to where her mattress was set up.

"You'll have to sleep on the floor," Chloe said with a slight frown.

"Not a problem," Oliver said, slipping off his jacket and putting it on one of the boxes. Chloe watched him settle on the floor, and she quickly followed suit. "What about your pillow?" he asked as he placed his arm under her head.

"I don't need it anymore," she said as she shuffled off her mattress to allow herself to be as near to him as possible. When she was fully comfortable, she nestled her head on his chest and whispered, " 'Night Ollie."

"Goodnight," he said as he watched Chloe shut her eyes.

Oliver couldn't wipe the grin off his face. She was here, wrapped in his arms, and not only did she want to be there, but she also loved him too. He had been waiting for this moment for six years, and while had been a lot of bumps along the way, she was finally his, and he was finally hers. Whisking a loose bang from her eyes, he stared into her peaceful face.

It was that moment he realized that Chloe Sullivan was no longer the one who got away, she was the one.

**~End~**

* * *

_Author Note: First off, I have to apologize for the third part, the recording was supposed to be important, and then I ended rewriting this part entirely (twice) and part of me just wants to scrap the storyline altogether, but it was too late. However, I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless and to make up for it (for some anyway)... a preview for the CG sequel "Notbroken" which I'm likely going to post sometime next week:_

_"Taking a step back to see her reflection, she felt herself catching her breath at the image staring back at her. A lot had changed in a couple years. Where there were youthful and sloppy curls, there was a shiny flawless straight bob. Before, her definition of fancy was maybe a twenty-dollar hairpin, but now she had diamond accessories. Smoothing her fingers over her ivory silk gown, Chloe knew that she was no longer in Kansas. _

_Even though this had been her life for two years, she still wasn't used to it. The fancy parties, the big decisions, it was still over her head, but she sold the act well because beneath the confident exterior was still that insecure girl that came to Star City because of heartbreak. It was because of him that she got over that, it was because of him that she started believing in herself... it was because of him that she stood where she did now._

_'You should see me now,' she whispered." _


End file.
